One of the biggest storylines ahead of the New England Patriots’ Week 9 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons was the uncertain health status of Rhamondre Stevenson.
The veteran running back has been battling a toe injury that kept him out of practice this week. On Friday, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel confirmed to media members that Stevenson will not play in Sunday’s home game against the Falcons.
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That means the Patriots will have to turn to rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson as the starter for the first time this season. Make no mistake, Henderson has looked like the more explosive running back since Day 1, but Stevenson’s blend of power and consistency, along with his contributions in pass-blocking and receiving, has helped him keep his starting job.
This will be an opportunity for Henderson to prove that he deserves more snaps on offense. He had an uptick in reps against the Cleveland Browns last week and finished the game with 10 carries for 75 yards. The Patriots are hoping there’s more where that effort came from against a Falcons defense that has been stingy against the pass.
It could become a real problem for the Patriots if they’re unable to establish a true rushing threat. Terrell Jennings will serve as the No. 2 running back, and the team will also have the option of elevating one of their practice squad players. They made moves to sign D’Ernest Johnson and Jonathan Ward this week.
This will be the biggest shake-up that New England has dealt with in the offensive backfield this season, and we’ll see how they handle it on game day.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Is Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson playing today?